I don’t like the idea of prying into the past, of focusing on his ex-girlfriend, but I feel like I’ve got no other choice.
I’m falling hard for Preston. Heck, I’ve already fallen.
But what if he’s not the man I think he is?
Before returning to the office, I check my phone.
I’ve got one text.
From Preston.
Busy tonight?
I squeeze my phone, unable to settle my thoughts, Lena’s words cutting painfully each time I remember them.
That’s all the more reason to see Preston again. And the fact he’s asking for date two means he can’t be that disgusted with my virginity.
No
A minute later, his reply comes.
Good, because I’m taking you out
CHAPTER SIXTEEN
Preston
I toss the ball to Freddie, his pup yapping as he sprints across the yard, nipping at the air like he thinks he can catch it. The sun shines down on us, and behind Freddie, his children play in the living room.
It’s the sort of life I never thought I’d have, or want before I met Penny.
“Does it bother you?” Freddie asks.
He means that she’s a virgin. I’ve filled Freddie in about the date, keeping the intimate parts tame.
Freddie has never seen Penny. He doesn’t know what she looks like. But the thought of my best friend thinking of her like that, for a second, causes my chest to tighten like my heart is going to explode. But I had to tell him the reason she ran.
“No,” I say, catching the ball as he throws it back.
There’s no way I can explain how much it doesn’t bother me. The second she said it, my whole world collapsed and began to reshape itself.
I’ve never believed in destiny or fate. I’ve never been superstitious.
But when she revealed that she’s a virgin, I knew we were meant to be together. Her body belongs to me, me alone, and it’ll only ever be that way. Her heart, her talent, her soul, her everything… it’s mine, only mine, for the rest of our lives.
I never have to think about her with another man.
There was no other man.
Just me. Just her. Just us.
“It clearly bothered her, though,” I say. “You should’ve seen her. She was so adorably nervous, man.”
Freddie grins as he catches the ball. “Adorably nervous. I never thought I’d hear you say something like that.”
I chuckle. “I know, but I can’t help it. She… she means a lot to me, even if it’s only been a little while. I can’t really explain it.”
Freddie nods. “You don’t need to. I can see how obsessed you are just from looking at you.”
“Obsessed,” I repeat. “Yeah, that’s one way to put it. And…She asked about my dad.”
“What did you tell her?”
“Nothing. We sort of got… distracted.”
I laugh at the understatement. We weren’t just distracted. It was like the whole world ceased to exist.
“I can’t believe she just ran.” Freddie chuckles. “That’s a boss move. Drop a bombshell like that and then just get the hell out of there.”
I grin. “In her defense, she did warn me.”
“Do you think Lena will be an issue?”
I suppress a groan. In a perfect world, Penny would quit her job today. She’d move into my apartment – or I’d buy us a new home – and we’d never have to think about Lena again.
“I hope not.” I sigh. “I don’t feel good about the way I treated her.”
“Bro, give yourself a break,” Freddie says sternly. “You didn’t hit her. You didn’t cheat on her. You didn’t insult her. You didn’t do anything to her.”
“That’s the problem,” I say dryly. “That’s why she hates me so much. I was a distant bastard.”
“And what about Penny? Are you distant with her?”
It’s the opposite. I feel closer to her than I have to anybody.
“No,” I tell him. “It doesn’t even make sense, Freddie, how badly I want her.”
“Well, I’m glad, you’ve found somebody. Now maybe I won’t have to look at your grumpy-ass face for the rest of my life after all.”
We laugh together, tossing the ball some more, as my mind strays to later. I’ve arranged to pick Penny up after work, though I’ll probably park down the street to avoid any Lena drama.
Penny walks down the sidewalk in her work outfit, her trousers baggy and her shirt buttoned all the way to the top.
Despite her concealing clothes, my cock hardens at the sight of her, my chest-thumping, my balls swelling and ready to burst. It’s the way she walks, her hips swaying naturally. Her gaze flits to me and her cheeks flush in the sunlight.
I climb out of the car, walking around to her side.
As I open the door, I can’t take it. I can’t hold myself back.
She gasps as I lean in for a kiss hello. It was meant to be a kiss hello, anyway, but then she returns the pressure and something in us ignites. She grips onto my arms and I growl, muffled through the press of our lips, pushing her up against the car.